TRUST HOTELS

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 October 1946, Page 3

TRUST HOTELS

CLAIMS OF CHAIRMAN DISPUTED ATTACK BY ALLIANCE (P.A.) INVERCARGILL, Oct. 17. “While not desirous of embarrassing the Invercargill Licensing Trust at a time when it is engaged in work still at an experimental stage, this meeting does emphatically challenge the truth of the published statements of the chairman of the trust and others that it is the growing conviction of the people that the experiment is a success. On the contrary, this meeting is convinced that there is a growing dissatisfaction in the public mind with some aspects of the experiments.” This resolution was carried unanimously to-night at a meeting addressed by the Dominion organiser of the New Zealand Alliance, the Rev. H. G. Gilbert. The chairman of the trust was reported to have been complimented by the police on the absence of drunkenness, said Mr. Gilbert, but, whereas the number of convictions in the last six months of no-licence totalled four, those in the first six months of Trust control totalled 50. He said he understood the trust supported 10 p.m. closing simply because its hotels were unable to cope with the 6 o’clock rush. Mr. Gilbert criticised aspects of the report of the Licensing Commission, and affirmed the determination of the alliance to oppose the introduction of liquor in the King Country. He referred to a decline of morality among young people, and said it was a result of liquor. He said he did not wish to defame young people, but did think they, were too good an asset to be sacrificed.